


Cold but Worth It

by CarnivalofBrokenDolls (yourrhinestoneeyes)



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Cute, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Oswald is nervous about things, Victor is sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 21:16:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11471838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourrhinestoneeyes/pseuds/CarnivalofBrokenDolls
Summary: Oswald noticed from their first encounter that Victor's skin was freezing to the touch. He didn't mind the bite of the cold or the look of his glowing eyes, he did mind the feelings he felt himself forming for him though.





	Cold but Worth It

When Oswald touched him, it caused him varied amounts of physical pain. 

The day he had initially met Victor Fries had been tense, when the larger man had picked him up by the collar of his coat and slammed him up against that frozen wall he had placed his hand over Victor’s wrist. Even through the thick material of his gloves he could feel the burning cold of his flesh.

He hadn’t thought too much about how biting cold his touch was until he started to appreciate Victor far beyond his brilliant mind and his research into cryogenics. After he had frozen Ed for him he’d told him that he didn’t have to stay in the manor if he didn’t want, Oswald understood that staying in a walk-in freezer couldn’t be a dream situation. He’d been taken by surprise when Victor had given him a crooked smile and told him he wanted to stay, he said that the freezer wasn’t so bad, not compared to that small cell that Strange had forced him into. Oswald had soon come to realize he enjoyed his company, that the two of them had quite a lot in common from their taste in music to the pain and loss they had suffered. 

They spent a night together drinking, Oswald had insisted that they celebrate. He’d told him that he wanted to celebrate a new life, a life where he no longer had to worry about Edward Nygma or Barbara Kean trying to kill him. Victor had been more than happy to join him, the two of them sitting in the large sitting room where Ed was temporarily being kept. Oswald would catch himself glancing in the direction of the large block of ice and glass, looking over Ed’s fearful pained expression that was forever frozen in place. 

He had shivered when Victor placed a gloved hand over his, he turned his head to look at him offering a small reassuring smile. 

“Do you still love him?” Victor asked, his glowing blue eyes never left Oswald’s.

There was something haunting about the way his eyes glowed, the way they looked so inhuman. 

“Yes, I think I always will.” He responded softly.

Oswald took another long drink from his wine glass, he reached for the bottle pouring more in. Victor eyed his refilled glass.

“I know I drink too much, Ed always seemed to worry about the amount I would drink. It gets worse when I’m happy or when I’m upset.” He explained, a casual tone to his voice as he gestured his full glass towards Ed.

He raised it slightly as if offering a sort of toast to his frozen friend, his eyes remained on Ed as he drank from his glass. The red wine no longer burned his throat, he just tasted the sweetness of berries tinged with a bit of bitterness. He sat his glass back down on the small table and turned his attention back to Victor, he realized he hadn’t stopped staring at him. 

“Why do you keep staring at me like that?” Oswald asked furrowing his brow as he tried to focus on his friend’s face.

Victor quickly looked away, he readjusted in his seat. The metallic suit he wore clanged when he moved, Oswald shivered slightly when the freezing puffs of air that emitted from the opening brushed against his face. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I guess I just forgot how creepy staring might be.” He awkwardly explained.

Oswald reached out touching his shoulder, he stroked his fingers over the smooth cold metal. He wished he could touch him, feel his skin. He was grateful for the fact he was drunk, his cheeks were already flushed, if he was blushing then he doubted Victor would really take notice. 

“It isn’t creepy, I’m just not exactly used to being stared at or looked at, unless of course you’re thinking about how strange I look. Then I’ve had a lot of people through my life look at me for that reason.”

Victor looked towards him again, he looked from his face to the hand on his arm. Oswald lowered his hand mentally reminding himself that he shouldn’t just touch people like that. 

Victor grabbed hold of his hand holding it in his own, his gloved thumb brushed across his knuckles and Oswald’s breath caught in his throat as he looked from their hands up to Victor’s face. It was impossible to not notice how beautiful he was, a stunning creature. There was nothing normal or natural to Victor and that was what Oswald found so beautiful and captivating. The faint blue glow of the veins beneath his snow colored skin, the intensity in his eyes, the frost at his hairline. He wondered if his stark white hair was as soft as it appeared to be.

“You don’t look strange, you look normal. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, you’re actually one of the most handsome men that I’ve seen in my life.” He confessed shyly.

Oswald laughed, he averted his eyes finding it near impossible to meet that intense gaze at the moment.

“I think you’ve had too much to drink if you’re thinking I’m the most attractive man you’ve ever seen.”

He shuddered when Victor placed two fingers beneath his chin gently turning his head up so he was looking him in the eye again. Oswald could feel his heart pounding in his chest, a fight or flight feeling was buzzing in his brain. His hands itched to touch Victor, but he could feel Ed’s frozen stare on the back of his head. He knew it was dangerous to feel like this, to crave the touch of another person. 

“I’ve thought you’re attractive ever since you were running that ridiculous campaign of yours. When you showed up in my house uninvited with Ivy I thought you looked amazing, you’re so handsome Oswald.”

Victor looked over his face, eyes focusing on the smaller man’s lips. Oswald tentatively reached out placing a hand against his chest, the metal was freezing, touching it burned his flesh, but he didn’t want to stop. He found himself focusing on Victor’s full parted lips, he leaned in closer to him until he was shivering from the icy air that surrounded the larger man. His lips were so close to his own, he was so tempting and cold, he was offering affection that Oswald was absolutely terrified of. 

Oswald quickly pulled away from him, he got up from his seat. He stood up too quickly, he felt as if his head were spinning. He would have lost his balance and fallen if Victor hadn’t jumped up and taken hold of his arm holding him upright. 

“Are you alright?” Victor asked, concern evident in his glowing eyes.

“I can’t do this.” He said pulling away from the older man’s gentle grasp.

Victor let his arm drop back down to his side, eyes looking over Oswald trying to figure out if he had done something wrong, said the wrong thing.

“I’m sorry, if I did or said something wrong just tell me.”

There was something so sweet about the worry and concern, the way he was watching him. Oswald could tell he wanted to reach out and touch him again and that confused him beyond belief. He thought back to the docks when his wrists had been bound together and he’d reached out to touch Ed’s face, but had his hands smacked away instead. The memory brought tears to his eyes, he shook his head and turned away from Victor.

“I can’t do this to myself again, I told myself I wouldn’t.”

It had been one of the last things he’d said to Ed, he wouldn’t let love weaken him again. He was going to focus on his empire, he wasn’t going to catch romantic feelings for another man who would just turn on him in the end.

Victor moved in front of him, he placed his hands on his shoulders making the smaller man tense momentarily. Oswald refused to look up at him, in his mind he wanted to continue to think this was just another Ed.

“Look if you aren’t interested in me then that’s fine.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“What’s wrong Oswald?”

The way that he said his name so softly sent a shiver down his spine. He let out a sigh when Victor placed two fingers beneath his chin gently lifting his head so he had to look at him. Oswald blinked, a few stray tears rolling down his flushed freckled cheeks, he glanced away from Victor feeling like an utter jackass.

“Talk to me little bird.”

Oswald smacked his hand away, he took an unsteady step back away from him, and glared up at the other man. The look of hurt on Victor’s face pained him.

“Why do you talk to me that way, I had a literal pitchfork wielding angry mob chase you from your home. They ruined all your things, because of me. I know you’ve stayed, because I’m funding your research. I have a rather difficult time believing you’re here for any other reason.”

“You know I don’t care about money, you could stop funding my research at any time and I’d still stay here unless you told me you wanted me to go. I put my anger to the side a while ago, I know you, I know what kind of man you really are.” 

He stepped close to him again, this time Oswald allowed him to place a cold gloved hand against his cheek. He found himself just the slightest bit leaning into his touch nearly craving it.

“So, you’ve learned I’m really a selfish greedy bastard.”

“That isn’t you, not the real you. I care about you Oswald, I’m not Ed, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“This is too much for me.”

“We can take it slow, as slow as you want to take things that’s what we’ll do. I don’t want you uncomfortable or scared, I want you to feel safe and in control.”

Oswald smiled sadly as he placed a hand over Victor’s keeping his hand pressed to his cheek. He stared up into his vibrant blue eyes, he could see that he so desperately wanted something with him. He looked at Oswald the way Oswald used to look at Ed once upon a time.

“That might take a lot of time.”

“I’m willing to wait.” Victor replied smiling kindly at him.

Oswald wrapped his arms around him hugging him for just a second, he hated the bulk of the suit, the cold burned, but it was worth it.


End file.
